‘I went through some very dark times. People say: ‘When did you decide you were gay?’ and you think, ‘When did you decide you were heterosexual?' It’s not a decision. It’s something you gradually begin to realise about yourself and it’s who I am.’

The Women's Equality Party was formed following a public meeting in ... a need for a political party in the United Kingdom to campaign for gender equality to the ...

The Women's Equality Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that was formed following a public meeting in London's Royal Festival Hall on 28 March 2015, where it was concluded that there was a need for a political party in the United Kingdom to campaign for gender equality to the benefit of all. The meeting was organised via Facebook[1] under the title "The Women's Equality Party needs you. But probably not as much as you need the Women's Equality Party" following a proposal by Catherine Mayer. The party's full policy was launched by party leader, Sophie Walker, at Conway Hall, 20 October 2015.

On 8 March 2015, at the same festival, comedian Sandi Toksvig presented an event entitled "Sandi Toksvig's Mirth Control: Stand Up and Be Counted", (Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre).[4] Interviewed by Jenni Murray on the BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Toksvig said, "I had a fantasy cabinet of women, and I didn't care which party they came from, we had Doreen Lawrence as our Home Secretary. Can you imagine anything more wonderful? We had paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson as our Sports Minister, and I asked them to put forward practical suggestions. The world is in a parlous state, 9.1 million women failed to vote in the last election, we need to attract them, we also need to attract the more than 7 million men who didn't vote. Why are people not engaged in politics, because I don't think that the people standing represent the diversity of this country."[5] Mayer phoned Toksvig and the two agreed to become co-founders of the party.[6]

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Hers was a high-class establishment. The clients at her afternoon “parties” included vicars, barristers, bankers, an MP and “a peer of the realm”